Pope County Court Docket
Pope County court docket records are public and searchable online through the Minnesota Court Records Online system. The Pope County District Court, located in Glenwood, handles civil, criminal, family, and probate cases for residents of the county. Whether you need to look up a case number, check a hearing date, or find out what was filed in a local matter, you can access Pope County court docket data free of charge through the statewide MCRO portal or in person at the courthouse.
Pope County Overview
Pope County District Court
The Pope County District Court is located in the Pope County Courthouse in Glenwood. It is part of the Eighth Judicial District, which covers a wide stretch of west-central Minnesota. The court handles all case types, from small claims and traffic matters to felony criminal cases and contested family proceedings. Court administration staff are available to help with filings and copy requests during regular business hours.
| Address | 130 E Minnesota Ave, Glenwood, MN 56334 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (320) 634-7790 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Judicial District | Eighth Judicial District |
The Pope County District Court page on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website lists current contact details, directions, and links to local court resources. This is the best place to confirm hours or find out about upcoming closures.
The Pope County District Court directory page on mncourts.gov has contact information and links to court services for this county.
This screenshot shows the Pope County court information page on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website.
Search Pope County Court Docket Records Online
The main tool for searching Pope County court docket records is the Minnesota Court Records Online system, known as MCRO. You can reach it directly at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. No login is required. Searches are free. You can look up cases by party name, case number, citation number, or attorney name. The results pull from all 87 Minnesota counties, so use the county filter to narrow results to Pope County specifically.
MCRO has four search tools. The Case Search tool is the most used. It shows the register of actions for each case, which is a list of every filing and court event from start to finish. The Document Search tool lets you pull specific public documents by case number. The Hearing Search tool shows scheduled hearings, which is useful if you need to check when a case is next on the calendar. The Judgment Search lets you look up civil money judgments by debtor name.
Not all records are accessible online. Juvenile cases, domestic abuse protection orders, and harassment restraining orders are not available through MCRO remote access. Records filed before July 1, 2015 have limited document availability, though the register of actions may still show the case history.
Note: MCRO is not designed for background checks. Use the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at chs.state.mn.us for official criminal history purposes.
What Is in a Pope County Court Docket
A court docket is the official record of everything that happens in a court case. For Pope County cases, the docket shows the case number, party names, the type of case, and a register of actions. The register of actions is a chronological log of every filing, hearing, ruling, and other event in the case. You can see when a complaint was filed, what motions were made, what the court ordered, and how the case ended.
Civil cases in Pope County include things like contract disputes, personal injury claims, landlord-tenant matters, and small claims. Criminal cases range from petty misdemeanors to felonies. Family cases cover divorce, child custody, child support, and name changes. Probate cases deal with estates, wills, guardianships, and conservatorships. Each case type has its own procedures, but all produce a docket that becomes part of the public record once filed.
Some fields in the docket are redacted or withheld under privacy rules. Party street addresses are not shown in public searches. Certain case types, such as civil commitment and juvenile delinquency matters, are confidential under state law.
Pope County Court Record Copy Fees
Certified copies of Pope County court records cost $14.00. This fee applies statewide under Minn. Stat. § 357.31. Uncertified copies are free as of July 1, 2023, when the Minnesota Legislature eliminated fees for plain paper copies. If you need a certified copy for legal, financial, or official purposes, you pay the $14.00 fee at the courthouse window or by mail request.
To request copies by mail, write to Pope County Court Administration at 130 E Minnesota Ave, Glenwood, MN 56334. Include the case number and a description of what you need. For payment, send a check or money order made out to "Pope County Court Administration." Call the court at (320) 634-7790 to confirm the current fee before sending payment, especially for larger requests that may involve additional charges for scanning or report copies.
The Eighth Judicial District page covers the district structure that includes Pope County and the surrounding west-central Minnesota region.
The Eighth Judicial District serves a large portion of western Minnesota, including Pope County.
Access Rules and Legal Framework
Public access to Minnesota court records is governed by the Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, not the state's Government Data Practices Act. Minn. Stat. § 13.90 sets out this separation. The court system operates under its own access rules, which determine what is public and what is restricted. Most case records filed in Pope County District Court are presumed public, but there are exceptions set by rule or court order.
Criminal records in Pope County are public once a case is filed. However, pending cases where charges were dismissed, the defendant was acquitted, or the case resulted in a nolle prosequi may have limited online visibility. The Minn. Stat. § 609A expungement statute allows individuals to petition the court to seal criminal records in certain circumstances. If a record has been expunged, it will not appear in public searches.
Court services data that can be made public under Minn. Stat. § 13.84 includes name, date of birth, offense information, supervision dates and conditions, and the agencies involved in supervision. Treatment records, psychological evaluations, and family court counseling records are classified as private and are not accessible to the public.
If you have questions about whether a specific record is public or need help finding a Pope County court docket entry, contact court administration directly at (320) 634-7790. Staff can clarify access rules and help you submit a proper request.
In-Person Access at the Courthouse
If you prefer to look up Pope County court docket records in person, public access terminals are available at the Pope County Courthouse. These terminals, known as MNPAC kiosks, provide access to all statewide public case records except juvenile cases. The in-person terminals often show more complete information than what is available through the MCRO remote portal, especially for older records filed before 2015.
The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Court staff can help you locate a case, request a copy, or understand what information is in the record. For simple lookups, the public terminal is usually the fastest option. For certified copies or anything you need for official use, the staff window is the right place to go.
Nearby Counties
Pope County is surrounded by several other counties in west-central Minnesota, each with its own district court. Links to neighboring county court docket pages are below.